The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-30
NEW YORK'S YOUNG PREACHERS.
The Best Pulpits Of the Metropolis Filled by.
Men Below Middle Life.

many young preachers there are in New York.
glance over the list of churches shows that
during the past few years very young men have
been called to preside over some Of the largest
and wealthiest congregations. The reason for
this is obvious. There 10 dearth Of good
clergyman material This is admitted by the
various denominations. Death has rapidly
robbed the ranks Of pulpit orators. The great
preachers die. and their places only be filled
with the greatest difficulty. Where there
used to DO from twenty-five to thirty graduates
in a single class At our leading colleges who wsnt
into the ministry, there are now only from six
to twelve. And this 10 true despite the fact that
graduating classes have quad:upied in number
in thes leading institutions OF learning. Those
who do go from the college to the seminary arc
by no means the brightest and emartest OF the
class. Usually thsyAare Door young men who
have been given their education with the dis
tinct understanding that they shall study for the
ministry after graduation. The result il really
becomine a serious subject There used 20 be
churches outnumber the clergy. That is
why so many calls are being extended
to pastors from abroad. Here is the
ported the Rev. Mr.. WaIpole It looks as though
Beechers successor would be an Eneliehman
Ali along Fifth avenue you encounter pulpit
orators who were born outside this Nation.
There is the Rev. DR.. Hamilton, of the Scotch
Presbyterian Church. on Fourteenth street; the
Rev Dr. Ormistou, Of the Twenty-nin th- street
and Fisth-avenue Collegiate Reformed Chnrch,
and the Rev. Dr. John Hall. of the Fifth
Presby terian Church They are all importa-
tions and all succeeded promnent American
ministers. So is the Rev. William NJ. Taylor. Of
the Congregational Church at ThirtY-fourth
street and Sixth avenue.
Between the foreign preachers and the young
men there seems to be a break. Tho old pastors
Of the country are not deemed ft for the big
metropolitan pupts. The largest churches to-
day are filled by young meu, or those who have
just reached the meridian OF life. The brick
Presbyterian Church at the corner Of Fifth ave.
nue. and Thirty even III street has Young pastor
In the Rev. Henry j. Van Dyke. jr. Mr.. Van
Dyke is decidedly young man. His father,
who is scarcely an old man as yet is pastor
of a large church 10 Brooklyn. Van
Dyke succeeds to the pulpit once filled by
the Rev. Dr. Gardiner Spring, New York's
most famous preacher in his day He Is young
man OF ability, of broad views ana of decided
culture. His name Is as famiiar to MAGAZINE
readers rs IL is to Presby terians. When Forty
second street is reached We como across the Rev.
DR.. John r. Paxton, who is scarcely forty five.
although his hair is turning gray. BE is the
most popular preacher in New York. The Rev.
DR.. Coe. of the magnificent Reform Church.
Forty eighth street and Fifth avenue, is young
Rev Rev Dr.. Richard S s.orrs. the
just below DR.. Coe at the corner Of
Forty fifth street and Fifth avenue. is the Rev.
Charles H. Eaton. He could fairly be styled .
boy preacher. He is slender and wears a blonde
mustache. The stranger who drops in and list
to his eloquence and clearcut, liberal
preaching. would not take hin. to be more than
twenty-three or four years old Yet he is the
successor of the late DR.. Chapin, who was prob
ablv the most prominent clergyman the Uni
versalist denominations Of America ever had.
Down on Fourth avenue. at the corner Of
Twentieth street, is the Unitarian Church, SO
long filled by the Row. DR.. Henry w. Bellows.
Its peculiar etyle of architecture and its alter
nate layers of marble and brick long ago caused
it TO be called the Church of the Holy Zebra.
It was tho church tho late Peter Cooper At.
tended until the day of his death. His SOM
ex-Mayor Edward Cooper. is regu-
aud a number of the best-kuown New
Yorlxers. Yet the pastor. the Rev. Theodore r.
Williams. is q very Young man. He came from
New England, and is very popular and decided
~ bright preacher. The Rev. DR.. Charles Fl.
Parkhurst. of the Presbyterian Church at Madi-
avenue and Twenty fourth street. 10 COM
most of the youthful metropolitan pastors.
The Rev. DR. A. E Kittridee. Of the Reform ned
Church. at Fifty-seventh street and Madison
avenue. is hardly middle aged yet. He came
from Chicago just after he had been sued for
libel for attacking Carter Harrison and other
politicians in his sermon. He has built mp .
church that even the Rev Dr.. CAM, now of St.
Louis could not sustain. He has all his pews
filled and receives a salary of $4,000 a year.
The Rev. DR.. Courtney. now of Boston. but late
of ST. Thomas. and several Episcopal clergymen
Of less prominence. are also very young
The most juvenile looking minister in New
York is tho Rev. Richard d. Harlan. OF the
Justice Harlan, of the United States Supreme
Court He hasn't been out of the seminary
three years yet He made his debut 40
preacher in Washington and has been q wonder
full success from the start. He is very tall aud
slender and has smooth face. His voice ID
rich and strong and his manner is very csptivat-
that is believed to be the wea.thiest in New
York It is the church that such families ~
the Aetors and Lenox have attended for two or
three generations. II ie nip and tuck for wealth
hat an Trinity "a
and this church of young Harlan's. Its contri-
buttons to benevolent objects was for years away
ahead of any gwen by any Pre.byteriar Church
in the land. OF late the collections taken in DR..
Paxton's, Dr. Halls and ST. Bartholomew's.
whore the Vanderbiiis go. have been nearly on
PAT with Harlans. But it is . remarkably rich
And the funniest part OF all is that the church
has always been one OF the most conservative
in the city. There was never an organ in the
church until this fall. The parishioners did not
believe in praising GOD in any way but by sing
ing, pure and simple They were very tena-
cous on this subject Even the Rev DR.. Will
seminary at Princeton. who pastor for
score of years. could not induce the trustees to
order an organ. But Harlan turned the tide
before he had officated six months. He
appealed to the younger members Of the conere-
cation and to church pride in general The
church is down on Washington square. q mile
below what Is now the fashionable part of the
metropolis. The consequence that the con-
gregation had dwindled down to not more than
a hundred in number. The rich families all re-
manned, and the line of carriages in front each
Sunday morning would make you think the
church WAS full But strangers never went
thsre, and pew after pew deserted. But
young Harlan has pulled the church right
MP He is gradually filing the pexs, and
strangers TO near the young man who could
accom- plish snch wonders. They are not disap-
pointed. Before the sermon is FIVE minutes
gone the hearer forgets the youthful looks of the
preacher. and only knows he 10 listening to one
of the brainest men. with one Of the rchest
voices, he ever heard. 1t matters not that
the preacher hasn't been old enough to
vote long. The sermon inspires and elevates
and the voice and manner charm. Harlan was
q born orator. He captured all the prizes at
Princeton. from which he graduated, and WAS
one of the last orators TO win . medal at the in
tercoileesate oratorcal contests that used TO b.
held each winter NJ the Academy Of Music here,
but ceased 3 few years since Tor want Of support
LAwRENcg S. Morn